


fairy lights

by NoncanonGirlfriend



Category: The Amazing World of Gumball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Birthday Party, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:23:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7673449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoncanonGirlfriend/pseuds/NoncanonGirlfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Penny's birthday brings out a lot in people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	fairy lights

**Author's Note:**

> i love my human au a... lot
> 
> this is pretty much the only kind of fic i can write right now and i'll probably rewrite it later but for now this is what i got

Birthdays are kind of a big deal when you're with the same 20 kids you've known your whole life.

Penny is handing out cards left and right, brown parka shuffling and jeans swishing as she rushes down the halls. Everybody is invited to her party in the backyard of her suburban row house, no different from anyone else's in Elmore. 

"Leslie, can you come early to help me set up?" Penny pauses at her cousin's locker, catching her breath while leaning against chipped metal.

"Whatever." Leslie puffs and snaps a book up from one of the dented shelves.

~~~

"Penny, what exactly do you see in him? Like, no offense, you could do way better." Leslie strings up more lights, holding a bit of tape in his mouth. The ladder wobbles under him when Penny tosses up a marker to touch up the banner. 

"He's smart, funny, and, well, I think he's cute." She lays a large picnic blanket on the damp grass, recently cut. 

Leslie scoffs, brushing his hands on his turtleneck. "If you really think so. He's kind of..." He twirls his fingers near his head. 

"LESLIE!" Immediately Penny giggles, tossing a small rock up that slams him in the head.

"OW! And honestly, I'm just saying!" 

Penny sighs audibly, and Leslie hops down the ladder after her, planting his boots firmly on the ground which gets another giggle out of her.

"What, like Alan's any better?" She tosses a sly grin his way, noticing the blush suddenly covering his cheeks.

"We're not dating, I don't- he's not- at least his dad doesn't hate me!" Suddenly Leslie is very invested in a tiny bolt on one of the sticky tables.

"Dad doesn't hate Gumball, you know that. Now help me set up these folding chairs."

~~~

Masami is the first to arrive, puffy white dress making her look like a cloud. Tina is grasping her hand, by far the tallest, face plastered in Masami's expert makeup. 

"Um, we're here for the party."

"Yeah, it's in the back!" Penny gestures backwards, and Masami in her rainbow tights leads her girlfriend to the yard.

~~~

People filter in, out, Gumball arrives and promptly falls down trying to shake Penny's hand. She pulls him up for a kiss, Leslie makes casual conversation leading Darwin to the backyard which develops in a full-fledged band class discussion, and Carrie quickly has Masami help her fix her sweater when Darwin sits down next to her.

~~~

When Alan arrives with a hand-knit sweater for Penny, she leans in on her front stoop and whispers something that makes him smile and blush.

~~~

"So, how is it?" Leslie sits down next to Penny on the blanket and offers her an orange soda. At the table, Gumball and Darwin are practically screaming and admiring Penny's presents.

"It's good. I mean, all my friends are here, Gumball's here, and people seem to be having fun."

Leslie swirls his drink and stares into the bottom of the cup at the mention of Penny's boyfriend.

~~~

"TINA! You know to eat with this fork first!" Masami angrily swipes the fork from Tina's scarred hand, prompting a grumble.

"It all goes in your mouth anyways."

Masami glares at her before carefully cutting up a bit of cake and offering it to Tina, who gladly chomps it down.

~~~

Leslie takes another break, chatting with Gumball, skipping Carrie and Darwin who are awkwardly flirting with each other, and purposefully walking past Alan, who's sitting alone on the picnic blanket by himself with a frosting-stained paper plate.

"Hey, Leslie?"

Leslie freezes and tugs nervously at the hem of his brown skirt.

"Yeah, Alan?"

"Wanna sit with me? You look nervous." 

Leslie folds his legs underneath him, pulling off his gloves and tucking them into his pocket. Alan's wearing his favorite sweater with the giant happy face on it, which makes Leslie hide his grin into his now-empty plastic cup.

"Yeah, I just, I want Penny to have a good time." Gumball screams in the background, followed by Penny's sigh.

"She seems to be enjoying herself. It's a nice night, the stars are shining, the moon is bright, there's no clouds, Penny's house looks like she scrubbed it clean for hours, very romantic."

Leslie's heart jumps and he intently focuses on a single star. "Did something happen with Carmen?"

Alan sets down his own cup and shifts slightly. "Um, we broke up a while ago. I didn't feel like I was being a good enough boyfriend, you know? And Carmen's happiness means the most to me."

By now they're the only ones in this corner of the yard, backed up near the painted fence, while everybody laughs under the strings of lights, munching on snacks or playing with Penny's gifts. Darwin is now holding Carrie's hand, smiling widely. Masami is still teasing Tina, who used her usual stained tank top to wipe off mascara and now has smudges on her shirt.

"I think you were a great boyfriend." Alan blushes at the compliment.

"I think you would be too."

"Well, not to a girl." Leslie mutters out the sentence, picking at the grass.

"R-really? I think I liked Carmen, but that might've been because we were best friends and I really care about her, because there's a boy I think I might have an actual cr-"

"Who?" Leslie spits out, clenching his hand into a fist, and Alan curiously glances over at him.

"Aw, Leslie, c'mon. Um, he's in band."

"Darwin?" 

Alan stares at him wide-eyed, and bursts out into full laughter for minutes, shaking and tearing up before finally settling down.

"DARWIN? No, no, he's sweet, but-" Alan's cheeks expand and he starts laughing again. "Seriously, though, he's always hanging around Gumball."

"Well, they are brothers." Leslie is focused on how much closer Alan got during his laughing fit, if Leslie just stretched a tiny bit he could run his thumb over the blue rubber captioning Alan's prosthetic fingers, he could-

"Eh, true." Suddenly Alan sharply draws his hand back, blushing again.

"Hm?"

"Just... um."

"Alan?" Leslie inhales sharply, standing up and brushing off his skirt.

"Yeah?" 

"Can you come with me? I wanna show you something."

"Sure."

Alan picks up their trash, dumps it on the can on the back porch, avoiding the rickety steps, and follows Leslie to the front sidewalk.

~~~

"So, about what you were saying earlier." They're both standing now, Alan's loose sleeves tucked into his pockets.

Alan taps his foot nervously, "Yeah?"

"Doyouwannagooutsometime?"

"What?" Alan wants to believe he heard Leslie correctly, but there's no chance-

"DO YOU WANNA GO OUT SOMETIME?", Leslie ends up screeching, face burning.

Alan splits into a grin and reaches out to grab Leslie's hand, clutching it hard, "Very much so."


End file.
